LIBRARY chiefs in Birmingham have sparked outrage after asking the public to donate new books – despite spending almost £200 million of taxpayers' cash on a sprawling new library for the city.

Notices have been posted in libraries in the city announcing that council cuts meant no new books or newspapers were being purchased.

Readers have been asked to donate books published in the last year – with authors and readers slamming the news as "horrifying and sad".

The cash-strapped council has already had to slash opening hours at the new Library of Birmingham – opened by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai in 2013 – due to funding cuts, and libraries will no longer buy in daily newspapers.

It confirmed that it had placed "a pause on the book fund" amid criticism from high profile writers.

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Despite the council claiming that it did not "expect the public to make up for cuts to the budget", a poster, found in some of Birmingham's libraries, reads: "Due to public savings cuts we are no longer purchasing any new books or newspapers.

"Therefore we're looking for any books published in the last 12 months to be donated to the library. All gratefully received."

Defending the plea for book donations, Birmingham City Council's cabinet member for Skills, Learning and Culture Penny Holbrook said: "We are continuing to look at how we secure the future of all our community libraries but whilst that work is underway we need to make tough choices to save money.

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The Library of Birmingham was opened by Malala in 2013

“One of those choices is a pause on the book fund.

“We have always made choices about which books to buy, but clearly we need to be careful and buy those books that are most needed.

“Whilst we have not corporately asked for donations from the public and this is the actions of a few libraries we do of course welcome any support the public wish to give our community libraries and the council in general, however we do not expect the public to make up for cuts to the budget from the Government.”